Oil-well plug.



J. T. HALL.

OIL WELL PLUG.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.22, 1914.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

A TOHNEKS TE SATES .raisinsl fr. HALL, or coAL'INGA, CALIFORNIA.

OIL-WELL rLUG.

Speeication of Letters Patent.

Application led January 22, 1914. Serial N o. 813,614.

To all whom t ma concern.:

Be it known that I, JAMES T. HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Coalinga, in the county of Fresno and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-Well Plugs, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates morelparticularly to that type of plugs known in oil well boring industry as a heaving plug,

that is a plug introduced within the well casagainst the inflow of water into the casing;y

the object of the invention being the production of a simple and effective plug for automatically locking by frictional contact with the interior wall surface of the casing on an upward strain being placed thereon, the construction whereof is such that lthe greater the strain placed onto the plug the nrmer .becomes the lock union between the said plug and the casing.

To comprehend the invention, reference 'should be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of an oil well with the casing therein, illustrating the plug in locked position within the casing adjacent the bottom thereof. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the plug removed from the casing, illustrating the position assumed by the valve therein as the plug is being lowered within the casing. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the plug taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

1n the drawings, the numeral 1 is used to designate an oilr well; 2 the casing fitted therein, and 3 the plug for closing the casing against the inow o f the heaving sand and gas, which, if not restrained, moves upwardly within the casing to such an extent as to cause the sanding and destruction of the well.

The plug 3 is of cylindrical form and of a diameter slightly less than the interior diameter of the casing in order to Imove freely within the said casing as lowered therein by the tool rod 4 attached to theeye 5 of the valve stem 6.l yThere is provided in the plug spaced longitudinally extending race-ways 7, each -of which is substantially oval in cross -section and decreases in depth, toward the bottom ofthe plug and is open Patented Apr. 27, 1915. i

to the peripheral surface of the plug by a slot 7. In each slot is fitted a movable member 8, preferably in the forml of a bearing .ball, the said movable members on an up-J ward strain being placed onto the plug riding on the upwardly inclined wall surfaces 9 of the runways 7 and frictionally engaging the inner wall surface of the casing to hold the said plug locked to thel casing against upward movement. Through the plug is Iformed a central passage 10, and a circularv top plate 11 is secured over the top of the plug and the same 1s of a diameter suicient to extend over and close the upper ends of the race-ways 7, and said plate is formed centrally with a valve seat 12 within which coperates a vertically movable valve 13 carriedV by the stem 6 between the nuts 15. The stem 6 is slidably mounted at one end in a guide opening 16 formed in the arms-17 extending'over the valve seat 12 and operates at its opposite end in a guide opening 17 formed in arms 18 extending over a valve seat 19 formed in a suitable member 20 which is ,positioned over the lower end of the central passage 10. A valve 21 carried by the stem 6l between nuts 22 coperates with the valve seat 19 and said valves 13 and 21 are normally maintained seated by a,

spring 23 coiled about the stem 6 andinterposed between the arms-18 and the valve 13.

Suitable bolts 24 secure the plate 11 and member 2() onto the plug.

. In lowering the plug toward the bottom of the casing, there is usually from ffone to several hundred fe'et of fluid in the casing` through which the plug must pass. Inasmuch as there is but slight clearance space between the plug and the interior Wall surface of the casing, the fluid would pass but slowly above the plug were -it not for the will press the same downwardly against the tension of the spring 23and the valves 13 and 2l will be unseated which gives a ing the frictional members 8 to move downwardly on the inclined race-ways `7 of the plug and by so doing to be forced outwardly 4 into frictional engagement with the interior wall surface of the casing, thus securely locking the plug in adjusted position relative to thesaid casing. The moment the downward pressure of the tool rod onto the valve stem 6 is released, the tension of the spring 16 exerts itself to force upwardly :1. and seat the valve 12 to close the passage- 3' ,inlets or perforations 25 for the inflow of way 10 against the by-passing of oil.

It will be understood that when plugging the casing 2 against the heaving sand, the plug 3 is positioned a distance below the oil oil into the casing. However, when the plug is used in connection, with the work of cementing the casing to prevent water flowing into the same, the plug is lowered to proper 2 Iposition and locked to the casing by exerting a sudden upward vpull onto the tool rod to break its connection with the plug. While the plug is free to movedownwardly to any given point withinthe casing, it is .automatically thrown into llocked engagement therewith against' upward movement on an upward strain being placed thereon, and the greater the upward strai the firmer the plug becomes locked to the casing. y

l It `will be apparent by providing the inclined raceways 7 and mounting the engaging: members therein, as in the-drawings, that the sanue'can not become lost or detached therefrom after the plug has been asi sembled and the top plate 11 mounted thereon. To release the plug (which is constructed of any suitable light material) in ordery to open the casing, it is only required to strike the same with any suitable form of a drill tool, thus breaking or'destroying the lu p Vhile the construction of the plug herein lshown and described is preferred, owing to the simplicity and effectiveness thereof, still I do'not wish to be understood as confining d .the invention to such details of construction,

being fully aware that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. j

Having. thus described my inventlon what to protect by `Let- 2. A plug for oil lwell casings, the same comprising a body portion formed throughout it-s length with a valve controlled passage-way for theflow of oil therethrough, a plurality of race-ways formed in the exterior surface of said plug and each closed at its opposite end, said race-ways extending longitudinally of the said plug and decreasing in depth adjacent the lower end of the plug, a ballfriction member mounted in each race-way, .and means for positioning the plug relative to the well casing.

3. A plug for oil well casings, thefsame comprising a body provided in its. lexterior surface with a plurality of longitudinally extending race-Ways, said race-ways being substantially oval in cross section and decreasing in depth adjacent the lower end of the plug, a friction ball mounted in each of said race-ways, and said plug formed with a valve controlled passageway for the passage of the oil therethrough.

4. A plug for oil well casings, the same comprising a tubular body portion formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending -.the tubular body portion, and a vertically movable valve controlling each of said passageways.

In testimony whereof I have signed myv name to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing wltnesses.

JAMES HALL. Witnesses: i'

N. A. ACKER, D. B. RICHARDS. 

